Childhood Diabetes

As government cuts make running extracurricular activities more challenging for our local schools, Highland Titles are delighted to once again donate a cycle to Ballachulish Primary School as the main raffle prize for their Christmas Fundraising again this year. Hopefully the lucky winner will be able to use it to cycle along our tracks at Keil Hill.

Years ago, it was rare to hear about a child with type 2 diabetes. Doctors used to think children only got type 1. It was even called juvenile diabetes for a long time. But not any more. Exercise – or lack of it – is probably the main reason for the rise in this pernicious disease. Getting out on the hill and cycling are two excellent ways for youngsters to avoid Diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes runs through my family. My mother, both her parents and my sister have suffered from Type 2 diabetes. However, I have so far escaped, probably due to a lifetime of waking in the hills and a vegan diet. But I could certainly lose a few pounds and now lead a depressingly sedentary lifestyle, running Highland Titles. How I envy our volunteers who get rained on every day and are the figures of fitness, on their feet all day leading tours and planting trees. Perhaps we should swap jobs now and then!

I spent many years in medical research dealing with the systems that, when they do not work correctly, lead to diabetes. Your digestive system breaks down carbohydrates like pasta and potatoes into a type of sugar called glucose. Your pancreas creates insulin, a hormone that moves glucose from your blood into your cells, where it’s stored until it is used as fuel.

In type 2 childhood diabetes, the insulin receptors on cells in your child’s body fails to respond to the insulin, and glucose builds up in the bloodstream. This is called insulin resistance. Eventually, the sugar levels in the blood get too high for it to handle. That hyperglycaemia can lead to other conditions in the future, like heart disease, blindness, and kidney failure. Progress to these complications is particularly rapid in children.

Type 2 diabetes is most likely to affect girls rather than boys who are overweight. In the UK and USA nearly 1 every 3 children is overweight. Once a child gets too heavy, they are at a much greater risk to develop diabetes. Children become obese because of a lack of physical activity and eating to much of the wrong sorts of food. The school run is certainly one factor. In my day, we all walked to and from school every day. Children now expect to be driven everywhere. The development of safe cycle routes and footpaths is a large part in reversing this trend.

So, what are the symptoms?

At first, there may be no symptoms. Over time, you may notice:

Unexplained weight loss

Hungry or thirsty a lot, even after eating

Dry mouth

Peeing a lot

Fatigue

Blurred vision

Heavy breathing

Slow healing of sores or cuts

Itchy skin

Numbness or tingling in the hands or feet

Take your child to the doctor if you notice any of these symptoms. Better still, encourage them to maintain a healthy weight by eating the right food and exercising enough. Failure to do do should not be an option.